Shaun Cross

Shaun Cross is a 4th generation native of Eastern Washington, with deep roots in the region and a rich family history of more than 130 years in the practice of law. A proven leader in both the legal and nonprofit sectors, Shaun has spent more than 45 years helping to shape the Spokane Region through his career as a corporate lawyer and his service on numerous boards. 
  
After earning a Bachelor of Science in Physics from the University of Washington in 1972 and working as a research engineer in California for several years, Shaun’s legal career began when he graduated from the University of Oregon School of Law in 1979. That same year, Shaun was admitted to the Washington State Bar where he practiced for nearly 30 years before the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern District of Washington. 
  
Shaun’s practice largely focused on complex Chapter 11 corporate reorganizations, acting as lead debtor’s counsel in some of the most significant cases in the Region between 1982 to 2007. Shaun held the position of Managing Partner at Paine Hamblen, LLP from 1997 to 2003 before joining Lee & Hayes, PC in 2008, where he was appointed as its first CEO from 2008 to 2015. Shaun is currently a Partner at Lee & Hayes and serves as its General Counsel. 
  
Beyond the law, Shaun has a deep commitment to community service, having held leadership roles on the boards of Whitworth University, the Spokane Regional Chamber of Commerce, the Spokane Public Facilities District, and other regional organizations. He has also been active in the arts, having served on the boards of the Spokane Symphony, Spokane Jazz Society, and Spokane Art School. His passion for community improvement also extended to his political interests, resulting in a run for Congress in 2004. Shaun is one of the founding members of his church, Christ the Redeemer, Spokane, which he incorporated in 1994. 
  
In 2018, Shaun's leadership took on a new dimension when he incorporated Maddie's Place, a nonprofit dedicated to supporting babies born exposed to substances and their parents. Shaun served as the founding Chairman of Maddie’s Place from 2018 until 2022 when he stepped down to become the organization’s first President and CEO, a position which he currently holds. 
  
Shaun currently sits on the Board of Directors and the Executive Committee of Excelsior Wellness, an innovative, alternative healthcare system that provides youth-centered, community-based, and culturally sensitive care to thousands of families in Eastern Washington each year. 
  
Shaun and his wife, Kathy, have been married for 49 years, and are the proud parents of four grown children: Kelly, Trevor, Emily, and Natalie.